Imperfect Desires

Darren stood at the same spot staring in the direction their car left. There was a beautiful smile lingering on his face and it even reached his eyes.

"Nora said you both make a beautiful couple," a deep voice sounded beside him and Darren turned to look at Dylan. "And I had no words to refute."

"Is that why you're always picking a fight with her?" asked Darren with a quirk of his brow.

"Me picking a fight with her and your relationship with her are two very different things. The problem is not that she's not suitable for you. Honestly speaking, I believe that only she can pull you out of the darkness you pushed yourself in." Darren stayed quiet in response because he could feel the truth in his words. "But I'm still worried."

"About what?" Darren raised his brow inquisitively.

Dylan looked at his best friend for a moment longer before saying, "I'm worried that you might be mistaking her for Chen Xiu. Because if you are then it's unfair to her. Ms. Bai is very vocal about her likes and dislikes. She can't hide her feelings very well and that's why it's very easy for me to see that she likes you a lot."

Dylan took a brief pause before placing his hand on Darren's shoulder and said, "She's a very expressive person but you have never been expressive. From a very young age, you learned to hide your feelings for the sake of your mother. But, Dazi, it was your lack of expressiveness that made you lose Chen Xiu in the first place. It took you too long to realize what you felt for her." Patting his shoulder, he added, "Don't make the same mistake twice. Confront your feelings sooner rather than later."

"Who are you? And what have you done to my best friend?" Darren looked at Dylan suspiciously making him roll his eyes. "On a serious note, Dylan, do you think I'm playing with her?"

"You wouldn't give any girl the status of your girlfriend unless you're serious about it. I do know you like her. But perhaps, you haven't even realized it yourself yet," said Dylan in an all-knowing manner before walking towards his own sports car.

Darren followed him and alighted the car before saying, "How are you so certain of my feelings for her?"

Dylan started the engine and said, "First of all, you would never argue with me for just anyone. She is someone special to you that's why you're willing to take her side. Second of all, do you think I didn't notice your discomfort when Zhou Jinhai was looking at her? I could literally see you throwing fireballs at him through your eyes. And you, my friend, are not possessive about just anyone as well."

On the ride back, Darren's mind wandered around what Dylan said earlier. He had to agree that he took too long in understanding his feelings for Chen Xiu. Even when she told him about her boyfriend, he knew he was hurting. He could feel something hurting fucking bad. But the problem was that he was unable to take the hint back then.

At least, he didn't take the hint until she was gone. Until she left an emptiness within him, he didn't realize how precious she was to him. Or how much he loved her. But when it ended, he couldn't even blame anyone except for himself. She was a huge part of his life back then and yet he only realized his feelings for her when he felt his heart breaking into a million pieces.

Pouring your heart and soul into something, only to realize that it was never meant to be ours... That shit had never been easy to deal with.

Darren pulled out his phone from his jacket and opened the photo gallery. The last picture was the same one Xiu clicked to annoy Dylan. Only the side of her face was visible but the way her lips were curled upward made Darren's lips lift up on their own accord.

He didn't know what got over him but in years, for the first time, he logged into his private social media account and uploaded the photo with the caption: 'Behind her spurious smiles, I found the most beautiful soul. Her crown might be crooked but this queen certainly is a looker.'

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes briefly. He had yet to take a calming breath when his phone started beeping. Darren unlocked the phone and his eyes widened to see so many comments.

AshTheNight: "Regan, is that you?"

Bubbles: "I think Regan's account is hacked."

XavStar: "I'm certain someone hacked his phone. There is no way Regan would flaunt his relationship like this."

BikerGal: "Come on guys, stop being so doubtful. Regan could be romantic as well."

AshTheNight: "Since when? Regan has a reputation as a heart-throb and a heartbreaker."

XavStar: "Regi, come out and explain this photo. This is your first post ever and you're leaving us second-guessing."

Darren laughed at their banter and typed, "The picture said it all. If it didn't then learn to read the caption."

BikerGal: "Fuck it, man! You're really flaunting your love?"

XiaoMei: "You both look picture perfect."

BeautyWei: "Oh My Bloody Goodness, what did I just see? Is that my Darren's girlfriend I've been hearing about? Come on, send me a photo of her already."

Darren was amused to see their excitement as he replied, "Beauty Wei, the mystery is yet to unfold. Don't be impatient. A mere picture won't do justice to her."

XavStar: "Please tell me Regan's body is possessed or something. When did you become so cheesy, man?"

Bubbles: "Xav, love makes people do crazy things. I guess, our Regan has been knocked out as well."

FranceSalvay: "Son, if this is your way of telling your mother that you want to get married. Then mom loves this. Bring her with you, we'll set the date."

Darren shook his head at his mother's comment and typed, "Ma, I'm pretty sure that my picture didn't suggest anything about marriage."

BeautyWei: "Who cares? As long as you say it, we'll be all up for it."

Didi: "Enough everyone! I have been stuffed with enough dog food for one night. Stop talking about this now!"

At Dylan's reaction, everyone sent a laughing emoji annoying him even more. Even Dylan was surprised like everyone else to see that Darren actually bothered to post something in his Moments. He rarely even talked to those old friends of his. But he actually took the initiative to post about his relationship status was really a shocker for everyone.